From the earliest centuries of Christianity, the cult of saintly relics has been an important feature of the worship of the Church. This book explores the way in which church architecture has been shaped by holy bones - the physical remains or 'relics' of those whom the Church venerated as saints.

`Crook's audience walks away with excellent explanantions for a variety of medieval cultic practices' Religious Studies Review, vol.27, no.3 `Crook introduces the reader to a lively overview of the intersection between textual evidence and the built form of the cultus.' Religious Studies Review, vol.27, no.3 `Crook's meticulous study of the architectural manifestations of saintly virtues, from the earliest Roman 'tropaoin' to the Becket shrine at Canterbury, stands as an invaluable guide for both scholars and students.' Religious Studies Review, vol.27, no.3 `Scholarly and comprehensive, the book combines a literary as well as an archaeological approach, and includes many useful ground plans and photographs by the author ... the depth and clarity of his research will reward specialists and students of the subject.' Abigail Willis, Church Times 22/12/00. `This offers a badly needed overview and a large quantity of welcome information on the subject ... a great advatage for historians of medieval architacture to have this book.' E. C. Fernie, Courtauld Institute, London. `Scholarly and comprehensive, the book combines a literary as well as an archaeological approach.' Abigail Willis, Church Times, 22 Dec.2000. `the depth and clarity of his research will reward specialists and students of the subject.' Abigail Willis, Church Times, 22 Dec. 2000. `His well-documented use of primary source material is impressive ... More than a hundred illustrations provide concrete examples of his observations; and an extensive bibliography and well-constructed index make the book a helpful tool for the reader s continued exploration.' John A. Dick, H-Net Book Review. `Crook s book is also the first complete modern study of this hitherto somewhat neglected aspect of medieval church architecture in western Europe.' John A. Dick, H-Net Book Review. `Crook ... demonstrates very convincingly how the cult of relics played a significant role in determining the architecture and internal arrangement of churches in the early medieval West.' John A. Dick, H-Net Book Review. `The interested general reader as well as the specialized historian will find this a fascinating and very worthwhile book.' John A. Dick, H-Net Book Review.